


The Cross and Horns

by NeoVaihlo



Category: South Park, South Park AU - Fandom
Genre: Devil Tweek, Imp Tweek Tweak, M/M, Pope Francis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2020-11-24 06:47:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20903387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoVaihlo/pseuds/NeoVaihlo
Summary: Two years removed from the events of By Blood and Silver, Hell's youngest Devil takes action to get revenge for the final wrong that was set against him. But what price will he have to pay to tie up this final loose end?





	1. Prologue

The fire raged behind him, the flames causing the shadows to dance all around the lakeside as he panted, tears running down his face, blood dripping from his clawed hands. He stood hunched over the third man's body; his guts strewn out across the grass, his eyes wide and lifeless. The hunter stood straight in the fire and moon light, the large black leathery wings stretching out into the crisp night air. A gunshot rang out, killing the silence and sending a minor sting through the demon's side as the silver bullet struck him. The monster turned to face the fourth and final man and eyed him up and down. His hands were shaking as they gripped his pistol. His eyes were wide and filled with terror. His black pants were clearly damp in the groin region.

“You Monster!” he screamed as he pulled the trigger again and again, emptying the weapon's magazine. The demon lazily folded one wing in front of himself, allowing the bullets to harmlessly strike their surface and fall to the ground as he slowly approached the man. Hearing the gun click empty, the demon removed the wing and dug his fingers into his side, digging out the bullet that had struck him earlier and holding it between his fingers for the man to see.

“Demon! You are a Demon!” the man shouted as he tried to push a fresh magazine into the empty gun. The demon was upon him immediatly, its hand closing around the man's face and lifting him up into the, the beast's icy blue eyes flashing dangerously in the night.

“You dare call me a monster?” It spoke in a slightly high pitched voice, yet a deep growl seemed to echo behind every word. “After what you did to me? What you did to Craig?” A fresh tear slid from the demon's eye, and the man suddenly smiled, despite being suspended in the air by his face.

“That piece of shit traitor was important to you? Than all the more reason that I am glad I shot him! I shall go my God as a Martyr! And you, Demon, will have His Wrath fall upon yo-”

The demon's thumb pierced into the man's throat, and his next word was drowned out as he began to gargle and choke on his own blood. The Devil brought him face to face with him, his glowing icy-blue eyes glaring into the man's own.

“That is where you are wrong you bastard...” Tweek said, his words shaking from the mixture of rage and sorrow, “you are not going to Heaven. You are going straight to the pits of Hell. And when you pull yourself out of the firey pits and become that which you hate oh so much, I will find you. And I will kill you again. And again. And again. And when I grow tired of that, I will feed you to the Hell Hounds.”

The man's eyes went wide with terror once again and he struggled momentarily, gurgling and choking as he fought to breathe. His eyes slowly rolled up in his head, and he went limp in Tweek's grip. The Devil dropped the corpse and took several deep, slow breaths. His eyes burned too much. His throat felt like it was about to catch fire. He screamed, the sound carrying out across the lake, echoing over the water and through the trees. The sound was clear, and the beasts that heard it bowed their heads in understanding: The loss of one's Soul Mate.


	2. A Devil's Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Devil has his days off. This is not one of them.

Tweek woke with tears in his eyes. The sunlight cut in through the window and he rolled over in his bed, pulling the covers tightly around himself.

The same dream again. Every night for the past month, he kept on re-living that night; the night everything changed for him, whether it had been for better or for worse. His love, Craig, who had by some miracle pulled him out of Hell, died to save his new life, and in doing so, had implanted his own Soul into Tweek, allowing the blonde Imp to evolve into the first new Devil in over a millennium.

It had been two years since that night, and yet every now and then the young Devil would dream of the night he was reborn. It was far from a pleasant memory. Why could he not dream of the night prior to that? The first, and last time that he and his love had shared a passionate embrace. The only time he had willingly been with another. The only time he got to truly feel Craig's love for him.

His chest suddenly felt warm, and Tweek felt his cheeks burn hot. He knew this feeling. Craig's soul was within him, and he could feel him inside, warming him as though he was embracing him from within. The feeling grew stronger, and Tweek felt a stirring in his loins. He stretched his legs out under the covers, his breathing coming slow and heavy, one hand running down his toned stomach towards his nether region as the other pressed against his lips.

“Oh.... Craig....” he moaned as the feeling within him burned, his lower hand taking hold of his now throbbing member as his upper hand had two fingers slip into his mouth. He let out another passionate moan, this one higher and louder just as the door to his room swung open and in bounded a strawberry-blonde eight-teen year old girl.

“Good morning Twee-” she trailed off as her eyes took in the scene before her. Tweek yelped in shock and sat bolt up on the bed, his wings involuntarily shooting out from his back and sending the blanket flying out across the room. The girl's eyes shot down and her face turned bright red. Spinning around on her heel she shot out of the room, slamming the door behind her as she left. Tweek lowered his head and groaned in embarrassment, his cheeks bright red as his wings slowly folded around him to block out the world.

Tweek walked down the stairs of the two story house he shared with Tricia Tucker and rounded the corner, walking down the hallway to the kitchen as he buttoned up his dark green shirt. Entering the kitchen he saw Tricia at the table, her school books open as she did some last minute homework before school. He walked over to the auto-drip coffee pot and poured himself a cup. Taking a moment to smell the columbian bean juice's aroma, he lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip as Trica gave him a smug, sideways smile.

“Well, I now know nine inches why Craig liked you.”

Tweek spit the coffee back into the cup and sprayed himself with the backdraft form the cup. He choked and coughed, coffee dripping from his face and hair as Tricia laughed.

“TRICIA! WHAT THE HELL?” he shouted, blushing again as the girl fell out of her chair, snorting for air as she laughed. Tweek took a breath and calmed down, waving a hand over himself and instantly drying his face, shirt and hair. “The bus will be here in ten minutes. Get your bag packed.”

She repeatedly tapped the ground as she snorted again, tears in the corners of her eyes, clearly unable to move from that spot as she continued to kill herself with her joke. Tweek sighed and gathered her books up for her, putting them into her backpack and setting it beside the front door.

“Breathe, then get going. It's your last week before graduation. Don't let nine inches ruin your perfect attendance record.” He smiled as he heard her hit the floor again, pounding her fists as she snorted again. “And lock up when you leave. I am heading out now.” Tweek's wings unfurled from his back with the sound of a ships sail catching the wind, and with a sharp flap from them he vanished from the house, leaving the eight-teen year old struggling to breathe on the floor.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Devil walked out of the shadows of an alley in the heart of Denver, his hands in his pockets, his hair slicked back save for a wild style in the front, his wings retracted from sight once more. He looked every part that one would think the Devil would look in human form, in a three piece dark green and black suit, black leather shoes and the swagger of a man who has no equal. He walked down the busy street, careful not to bump into anyone and apologizing to the few he did. After a few blocks he ducked into a coffee shop that was empty, save for a table with five people gathered around it. This place was exclusive; members only. It was Tweek's coffee shop, the Sinful Sip. Everyone who worked here and who came in were hand picked by Tweek, and all knew his true identity. And the five were the closest he had to family aside from Craig's little sister. The lone African-America at the table noticed him and waved him over, causing the others to turn and look at him. Three young men, one with short, wild red hair. One with neatly combed straight black hair and one with a military style crew cut to his blonde hair. The lone female in the ground had her silky black hair cut at shoulder length with a pink beret sitting on top, as it had since she was young. Tweek sat with them as the crew cut got up and walked to the service and called out a slightly muffled “One for the Boss” to the worker, his mouth covered by a styled medical mask, a skull and crossbones smack in the middle of the fabric.

“Hey there Satan Junior,” the black haired man joked, giving Tweek a friendly smack on the arm. Tweek smiled and nodded to each of them in turn.

“Good morning Stan. Kyle. Wendy. Token.” he said. The fifth, standing at the counter behind them all turned and threw his arms up in the air.

“What the fuck man?”

“Kenny.” Tweek finished with a devilish smile.

“Asshole.” Kenny replied, turning his back to them as he watched the girl behind the counter work on Tweek's beverage.

Tweek looked between them all again. Even after 16 months, they all had the same uncomfortable look. Not that he could blame them. It was a lot to take in. A lot to process and accept. Even though they knew he was their friend, what was to stop him from going on a rampage? He was a Devil; a being on par with Satan himself. Despite all of the bullshit they had experienced together as kids, this was on a whole new level. Within his chest, Tweek could feel Craig's soul raise an annoyed middle finger. He smiled apologetically.

“Still that awkward?” he asked, and everyone looked away.

“Look dude, we're sorry, it's just...” Kyle started, trying to find the words.

“It's not everyday that one of your friends comes back from the dead, you know?” Stan finished, drawing silent agreements from everyone around the table. Kenny, who had just started walking back to the table with Tweek's coffee froze in his tracks and glared at the backs of everyone's head before agressively flipping them all off in turn. Tweek cocked a curious eyebrow at Kenny, who simply flipped him off as well before slamming the coffee down in front of him and walking over to another table and plopping down in one of its chairs, his back turned to them.

Everyone around the table looked at each other and shrugged.

“So, with that aside,” Token said, leaning in and looking across the table at Wendy, “did you find it?”

Wendy smiled and pulled a large tablet out of her bag, setting it on the table and scanning her thumb on the Home button. “Do you think I would call you all if I didn't?” She asked as the screen brightened and she began swiping over to the file she wanted.

“Old Vatican blueprints?” Tweek asked, leaning closer as Wendy tapped an icon and building schematics popped into view.

“Oh yeah. Everything you could want. Plumbing, side chambers, hidden tunnels, even some of the rooms that were used for Inquisitions. Plus a couple of rooms that were never given a name or a purpose. Just... underground rooms.” Wendy explained as she moved the images around, showing everyone the sections of the blueprints she was referring to. Tweek felt himself start to smile.

“And Token, you are positive that he will be there?” he asked, and his friend nodded.

“Tomorrow. Elder Vance will be gathering all of the Templars and Exorcists for the annual ceremony of Rank Promotions. Seems like his parasite likes the irony of the Church following the same rules as Hell.”

“The only difference is that unlike in Hell, a higher Rank doesn't mean that you're any stronger.” Tweek muttered as he studied the blueprints. “Just mean's you have a talent for surviving.”

“Or kissing ass.” Kyle chimed in. Wendy pushed the tablet over to Token, who took it and placed it in his own bag.

“You did take the time zone difference into account for this plan, right?” she asked, and Token gave her a slightly hurt look.

“I have been planning for this since the day Craig died. Of course I took the time difference into account! We have 14 hours until the Ceremony starts. We have about a dozen members here in Denver, ready to go at a moment's notice.”

“And a small army of supporter's in the Vatican.” Tweek added, remembering the young Page who had come to meet him not long after Craig's death. He hoped the boy was still alright.

“Okay, well you guys...” Kyle started, standing up and suddenly losing his words as he looked from Token to Tweek. “You guys....” He walked over and gave Token a hug, who looked taken aback. “You guys take care, alright?” he said, his voice shaking. Stan walked over and put a hand on Token's shoulder, forcing himself to smile.

“Especially you Token. You aren't bulletproof.”

Wendy walked over to Tweek and hugged him, which the Devil returned in kind.

“You get those bastards Tweek,” she said, gripping him tightly. “You make them pay for what they did to you and Craig. You make them pay for taking him away from us.”

Tweek pulled away from Wendy and locked eyes with her, her steel-blue eyes staring back into his piercing, ice-blue ones. She did not blink as his pupils sharpened into cat-like slits.

“You have my word.” Tweek replied, breaking eye contact with her and turning to Token and the others. “Shall we?” he asked, and Token walked over to the barista counter, reaching over and grabbing a bag from behind it.

“Karma is coming.” Token said with a smile, shouldering the bag and grabbing the other one he had put the tablet in before heading to the front door. Tweek paused at the door and turned to look at his friends, each one smiling, yet giving off the air that this might be the last time they ever see one another.

“Don't worry guys,” Tweek smiled, opening the door behind him and taking a step outside. “I will bring him back in one piece.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tweek stood with Token in the basement of an abandoned church in the heart of a ghost town not far from Denver, facing the fourteen people who had come to join them. Nine men and five women, each one either a former Exorcist or Templar who had been double crossed by the Church. Each one who had been living in hiding ever since their Excommunications.

“The Vatican actually keeps a list of everyone they give the Holy Boot to?” Tweek asked, still in disbelief. “What about all of that 'Turn the Other Cheek' and forgiveness crap?”

“Do as I say, not as I do.” Token replied dryly, checking his watch. “Either way, Wendy hacking that list was very useful. Made for a great soldier shopping list.”

“I still can't believe that she still hacks for a hobby. I remember when she got into it back in school. She kept blowing up Cartman's phone when he went to the bathroom.”

“Oh, you missed her at her worse,” Token said, looking away from his watch and to the stairwell leading out of the basement. “In the 12th Grade, Cartman stole Stan's phone and found some nudes that she had sent him. So fatass spammed them to every boy in school. She got back at him by hacking his computer and live-streaming him watching porn to the entire town. We saw what he was doing, what he was watching, everything. And when he realized what was happening and tried to stop it, she blew his phone up.” Token said with an amused smile.

“And she and Stan still aren't married?” Tweek asked as the fourteen others in the room strapped on bullet proof vests and checked weapons.

“Nope. All I know is that they share a house with Kyle, and beyond that, I know nothing. And honestly, I don't want to know.” Token finished as he opened the bag from behind the counter and pulled out a shotgun that sent a tinge of anger through Tweek's body at the sight of. Token had engraved some strange symbols along the barrel of the weapon. Tweek did not recognize them, and he did not think to ask about them as his friend began to load shells into the gun.

Above them the floorboards creaked, and they all looked up. Footsteps crossed the floor above them, heading to the stairwell. They heard the steps come down towards them, and everyone raised their weapons. From the shadows of the doorway stepped an old priest, his glasses thick and square, his square jaw covered in thick grey whiskers, and his bald head sporting a few lingering strands of defiance. In one hand he held a Bible, and in the other a flask of Holy Water. Token lowered his gun and smiled at the elderly priest.

“Thank you for coming, Father Maxi.”

The old priest approached the group and nodded his head to each one.

“So, this is the group that is to reform the Church, is it?” he asked, his voice much weaker than it once was, but still full of kindness.

“Not reform,” Tweek said, “Weed out the wicked.”

“To pull a weed from a garden is to make the soil more fruitful and prosperous. To weed the wicked from the Church will allow the true children of the Lord to take their rightful seats in His house.” Father Maxi replied. Tweek shrugged.

“What if it is a Devil who weeds out the wicked?” he asked, and Maxi smiled.

“A Devil who weeds out the Demons. I call that an Act of God.”

“I call it sweet sweet irony.” One of the group said, and the others laughed in agreement.

“Everyone, line up!” Token commanded, cocking the shotgun. The room fell silent, and all of the soldiers lined up on either side of Tweek; Token standing to Tweek's right and a short woman with short red hair to his left. She looked up at Tweek and gave him a nervous smile. Tweek did not smile back. How could he? His odds of returning alive from this were 99.9%. The rest of them had a much lower chance of coming home alive. He could not afford to get attached to anyone. Not here. Not now.

Father Maxi opened his Bible and read aloud, holding the flask up over his head as he read.

_“_ _Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.”_

He then approached each soldier and drew the mark of the cross on their forehead with some Holy Water. The Father paused when he reached Tweek, both staring awkwardly at one another for a few moments before Tweek shrugged.

“I'm good.” he said, drawing a chuckle from the room and allowing father Maxi to move onto the young woman beside him. Tweek could feel warmth within him grow restless. Craig knew what happening. What was this feeling? Anger? Anticipation? Fear? Tweek couldn't be sure. It made him feel a little uneasy.

Father Maxi finished blessing the last soldier and stepped back from the group, facing them once more as he spread his arms wide.

“May the Blessings of the Father be upon you, and may the Courage of the Son guide you forward in your charge.”

Tweek set his hands on the shoulders of Token and the woman, his wings unfurling dramatically from his back.

“Amen.” he said, and the room echoed his word as he flapped his wings. The sixteen Crusaders vanished in the blink of an eye, and Father Maxi stood alone in the basement. He crossed himself and and picked up his crucifix from his chest, kissing it and holding it to his forehead.

“In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, may they be successful in their quest.” he prayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly am starting to think my brain just doesn't want to work on Echo Falls. This story is just coming together very quickly. I decided to have some fun with this chapter. I dont attempt to write comedy scenes very often, but I think these ones turned out quite well. 
> 
> Also still not very comfortable writing male romance scenes. I am working on it.... slowly.


	3. An Eye for an Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Reckoning has arrived. Tweek and Token lead their excommunicated army against the Vatican to flush out the demons that have infested it.

Chapter 2: Eye for an Eye

The air gave a small boom like thunder, and the fifteen soldiers of vengeance dropped on the rooftop of a building a block away from the Vatican's front entrance. Several of the soldiers dropped to the knees and choked for breath. One puked up his lunch.

Token grabbed hold of Tweek's shoulder to steady himself.

“No matter how many times we do that... I will never get used to it.” he panted.

Tweek smiled apologetically. It seemed that he was the only one who was not affected by his ability to teleport. Though he was sure that eveyrone present would agree that it was a small price to pay for getting to skip past the airport.

The group entered into the building through a rooftop hatch and descended inside, where another dozen soldiers were gathered, loading weapons and equipping bullet proof vests. Over by the open window sat two men, both with a pair of binoculars. Token approached them.

“Anything change?” he asked, and one of the shook his head.

“Nothing. But we still have another five minutes until the scheduled start signal.”

“And what exactly is the signal?” Tweek asked as he approached. One of the men turned to look at him before answering.

“One of our men on the inside has slipped a silver cross into the fire suppression system. He and the rest have been blessing the water tank every time they walk past it for the past week. They're going to trigger the sprinklers, which will expose all of the demons inside and, ideally, cause enough chaos for us to enter through the front gates with little effort.

Tweek frowned.

“Didn't they do that in that one Keanu Reeves movie?”

“Where do you think they got the idea?” Token replied with a grin.

Tweek looked at the front gates of the Vatican. Five armed guards stood just inside the steel bars. Beyond that was about two hundred feet of space until the front doors; a pair of giant ancient oak slabs. And beyond that was the hellscape they were all about to walk into. He felt a burning in his chest as Craig's soul grew excited.

“So the plan remains. I will breach both outer doors to open the path for the rest of you.” Tweek said, heading back to the roof hatch. “Hopefully that water hasn't been blessed to the point where it hinders me as well.”

“I highly doubt that.” Token chuckled as everyone got their feet and readied at the door, prepared to rush out as soon as they heard Tweek take off. The Devil hopped up through the hatch and stepped across the roof, watching the Vatican, waiting for the signal. In his chest he could feel Craig zip back and forth in anticipation. He set a hand over his heart and smiled.

“It's alright Craig,” Tweek smiled, “today we make them pay.”

The air was suddenly split by the sound of a shrill bell, quickly followed by the inhuman cries of pain of denizens of hell as the holy water seared into their skin. Tweek took a sharp breath and closed his eyes.

No Mercy. No Quarter.

He opened his eyes and flapped his wings, disappearing from the roof and appearing between the five outer guards. One of them screamed at his appearance, but Tweek wasn't bothered by it. In one motion he snapped his wings out, slamming them each into a guard and sending them flying through the air. He shot his tail out behind himself, wrapping it around another guard's neck as he reached out with his hands and grabbed the last two guards by the backs of their jackets and cracked their skulls together. Tweek released them and they dropped to the ground as he whipped his tail, sending the last guard spinning through the air before he landed on the ground in a crumpled heap.

Tweek stood upright and straightened out his suit before walking to the steel doors and grabbing the bars, pulling and bending them wide open as he saw the first of the soldiers rushing out of the building and sprinting towards his position. Tweek turned and placed his hands in his pockets as he approached the giant oak doors, smiling as he heard the rest of his group catch up to him and slow their pace to match his own. Twenty-seven strong, they stepped up to the doors as the sound of gunfire rang out from the other side.

“Alright everyone!” Token shouted as he cocked the shotgun, “let's take these bastards to Confession!”

The air was filled with the sound of mechanical clicks and clacks as rounds were chambered and safeties removed.

Hands still in his pockets, Tweek took a final step toward the door and planted his foot right in between them; the force of the kick breaking the doors clear off their hinges and sending them flying into the Vatican's foyer. The room had a good two inches of blessed water on the floor, and everywhere was filled with screams and gunfire as guards and exorcists fought back against the exposed demons.

“Kill the demons!” Token shouted as their troops rushed past into the fray. “Do not kill any people if you can avoid it!”

Tweek strolled out in the middle of the battle, horns wings and tail in full view as the battle raged around him. The water from the sprinklers overhead ran off of his skin, giving him a mild itch where it touched, nothing more. Behind him Token barked orders at his troops, sending them down different side passages.

“Tweek!”

The Devil turned to his right and saw a young man in an Exorcist outfit sitting against the wall a small ways down the hallway. Tweek recognized him as one of theirs, the one who had sought him out a few weeks after Craig's passing. He quickly made his way over to him.

“Jeffery,” he said, crouching down as he saw a bloody gash across the young man's face. It was as though a blade had crossed the right side of his face, taking out his eye along with a small chunk of his cranium. Tweek grabbed Jeffery's hand and pressed it against the wound. The Exorcist smiled.

“I'm alright, just a parting gift from Elder Vance after the sprinklers went off.” he said with a pride filled smile. Tweek ripped a strip of Jeffery's jacket off and wrapped it around his head, trying to bandage the wound.

“Where did Vance go?” Token asked as he fired a round down the hallway.

“He's most likely heading for the Pope,” Jeffery replied as a bullet bit into the wall beside his head. Tweek quickly moved his wings around to shield Jefferey from the direction of the fire. “He probably wants a human shield, and the Pope is the only one here who is not expendable”

“Bastard!” Token swore as he fired two more rounds down the hall.

“Well he is a Demon Lord,” Tweek said as he finished bandaging Jeffery's head. “Now stay low and get out of here. You have done enough.”

“I can still fight!” Jeffery protested as he raised his pistol; Tweek smiled as he saw it was a black and chrome Colt 1911.

“You want to keep fighting? Than make your way out of here and help evacuate the wounded. Alright?”

“But I-”

“Jeffery!” Token barked, “That is an order!”

Jeffery gritted his teeth for a moment, then closed his eye and nodded.

“Good,” Tweek said, feeling several bullets hit his wing. “Now, if you will excuse me...” he flashed down the hall to the corner where the three guards were shooting from. He struck the first one with a kick, sending him flying back into the two behind him. The three toppled across the floor, sliding on the wet floor, and then down an inconveniently placed stairwell.

“Clear!” he shouted down the hall, and the two humans moved; Token towards him and Jeffery back the way they had come.

“The whole Holy Sprinkler Water was his idea you know.” Token said as he caught up to Tweek. The Devil smiled.

“Was it now?” he said, looking down the hallway and stretching his wings. “Which way to the Pope's.... office?”

“Quarters, and this way.” Token replied as he took the lead, rushing down the hallway and taking a left. The further they moved into the Vatican, the quieter the sounds of battle became. Token approached a door and kicked it open, rushing in and sweeping the room.

“Your Holiness!” he shouted as Tweek moseyed on in behind him. The room was large with a high ceiling, several old wooden tables, the walls were lined with roof high book shelves, and a large wooden chair was on the far end of the room, overturned. Against the far wall was the Pope, a calm expression on his face as Vance stood behind him, one hand wrapped around the Pope's neck.

“That is close enough, Father Black!” Vance shouted, and Token stopped, the shotgun shouldered and pointed at the heretic.

“Ah, I see that my time of Judgement has arrived,” the Pope said calmly, his eyes studying Tweek's demonic features. “As strange as it may sound, I am honoured that the Devil himself has come to collect me.”

“Sorry to disappoint you Francis,” Tweek replied dryly, his eyes narrowed on Vance, “but I am here for the piece of shit hiding behind you.”

“Ah, that does bring a question to mind,” the Pope smiled, “Elder Vance, what is this all about?”

“Shut your damn mouth, you old bastard!” Vance snapped.

“That's no way to talk to the Holy Father, now is it,” Tweek's eyes started to glow in anger as he locked looks with Vance, “Asmodias?”

Vance sighed, and the facade fell. His skin grew tight against his bones and darkened. His eyes turned black. His teeth elongated and ended off is sharp points. The Elder was gone, and the ancient Demon Lord now stood in his place.

“You impudent little Imp!” he spat, his grip tightening around the Pope's throat. “How dare you stand there, a Devil, after I have worked so long to serve our Lord Lucifer? I should have become the next Devil! Not some little bitch shit who had his heart broken!”

Tweek's fingernails snapped out like a set of razor black talons, a low growl rumbling from his throat as he took a step forward.

“Stop right there, Imp, or the Holy Father dies!” Asmodias warned, placing a long pointed fingernail against the man's neck.

“Tweek, calm down,” Token said nervously. “I know we are here to avenge Craig, but I told you that the Pope's safety comes first.”

“Such a good dog you are, Token.” Asmodias smiled. “So I will tell you how this will go: Shoot the baby Devil in the face, and I will let the Holy Father go.”

Tweek's eyes widened as he heard the shotgun's safety click off. He turned to find himself face to face with the gun's barrel.

“Token...?”

“Sorry Tweek.”

Token pulled the trigger, and Tweek's face vanished in an explosion of blood, bone and silver shot. Tweek's body hit the floor with a dull thud, and Asmodias roared with laughter.

“Good!” He shouted, letting go of the Pope as he laughed. “Such a good, loyal pup of the Church! Without question, you kill the only thing that could have stopped me!”

In the blink of an eye, Asmodias was across the room, his right hand around Token's neck as he lifted him off the ground, choking him. Token choked, his grip on the gun slipped and it fell to the floor with a clatter. His grabbed at Asmodias' hand, trying to pry the Demon's grip off.

“And now you can die as a stupid, loyal dog.”

As Token struggled to breath, he smiled as he choked out three words.

“You first.... prick.”

Asmodias' smile vanished as he felt his chest explode. Looking down he saw a hand sticking out of the center of his chest cavity. Turning his head around he saw the Young Devil standing behind him, his face nothing more than chunks of bone and muscle, yet in the blown out eye sockets burned the light blue flame of anger.

“You really think that that would be enough to kill me, you withered fuck stick?” Tweek growled as his face regenerated; bone rebuilt, muscle and skin stretched out and eyes regrew. “You truly have no idea insignificant you are compared to Satan and myself, do you?”

Asmodias coughed up a mouthful of blood and dropped Token, who fell to his hands and knees, coughing for breathe.

“Go ahead and kill this vessel, False Devil,” Asmodias said weakly, “It won't stop me. I will come back! I will become... a Devil...”

Tweek yanked his arm out of Asmodias' chest, grabbing hold of his heart as he did so, ripping it out of the Demon's body. Asmodias crumpled to the floor, his breathing coming in sharp, ragged gasps.

“Good,” Tweek said coldly, crushing the heart in his hand, “I will be waiting to send you back to Hell every time.”

Asmodias ceased to breathe, and Token grabbed the shotgun, shakily getting to his feet.

“Is he dead?” he asked, rubbing his throat.

“Probably.” Tweek said, dropping what remained of the heart and shaking the blood off of his hand. Token cocked the gun and shot Asmodias' head, blowing it apart like a watermelon.

“Okay, I feel certain that he's dead now.” Token said before walking over to check on the Pope. From the hallway, Tweek heard the sound of rushing footsteps.

“I should go,” he said as Token helped the Pope sit down against the wall, “A Devil in the Pope's office is probably not a good look.”

“Yeah, go. I got things from here.” Token said with a smile. Tweek smiled back. It was done. Revenge was served, and it felt good. He flapped his wings and vanished.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tweek found himself in darkness. What was supposed to have been his coffee shop in Denver was instead a chilly, musty smelling underground cavern.

“What the hell?” he asked, his eyes quickly adjusting as he felt Craig's soul flit around in his chest nervously.

Listening closely, Tweek could hear the sounds of shouting from a ways above him. He was still at the Vatican, somewhere underground. Judging from the echoes off of the stone walls, there was an old iron door behind him; most likely the entrance. Up ahead however seemed to be a direct opening that lead outside. Folding in his wings, Tweek started down the tunnel towards the apparent way out. Following a turn in the path he saw a beam of light shining down on the floor from above.

“That's the way out it seems,” he said, stepping into the light and looking up; above seemed to be an old well. He spread his wings and, as he went to flap them to ascend, the light around him suddenly flashed bright white, and Tweek felt as though his entire body was on fire. He screamed in agony as he felt his skin and bones burn with the intense pain. After what felt like an eternity the light faded and he fell to his hands and knees, panting, sweat dropping from his face as smoke rose from his skin.

“What.... the fuck.... was that....?” he panted. Blinking a few times, he noticed that the ground under him was imbued with silver runes, forming a full circle around the area that the light had engulfed. Tweek cautiously unfurled his wings again and, sensing no danger, flew up through the hole above and into the late afternoon sky. He was about half a klick from the Vatican now; he could see people still rushing around as they tried to regain control of what had happened. With a deep sigh he flapped his wings and in an instant was on the front step of his house. Folding in his wings, he opened the front door and walked in. Tricia was fast asleep on the couch, the tv asking if she was still watching Netflix. Tweek turned off the tv and set a blanket over Tricia before walking up to his room and, after stripping naked of his ruined clothes, getting into his bed. Slithering around in the sheets, he smiled as his hand wandered down the front of his body.

“Shall we pick up where we left off this morning, Craig?” he asked with a sly smile. He waited to feel a response. “Craig?” he asked, the smile fading as he opened his eyes. He sat up in the bed, his heart rate increasing as he placed a hand over his chest, eyes wide as he searched inside himself for the presence of his lover.

“... Craig?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Hell this took forever to get around to writing!!! I knew this chapter before i knew the previous one, yet hello writer's block, ya bastard!!!
> 
> Next one should be out sooner rather than later.... I hope.


	4. A Day in the Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tweek seeks answers from an old friend about what happened to Craig.

“I am telling you that he is not there.”  
“And I am telling YOU to CHECK AGAIN!”  
It had been three weeks since the attack on the Vatican, and now Tweek’s voice echoed off the walls of his coffee shop as he shouted at his guest, a tall man in a black and red three piece suit, complete with a fedora. His pointed black goatee was blown awry by the force of the young devil’s voice, and the man sighed as he used a hand to straight it back out.  
“Look, he said, taking his hat off and looking at Tweek with his burning blood red eyes, “if the soul of your boyfriend, the Exorcist Craig Tucker, had entered into Hell, it would have caused an absolute riot. You know that Keanue Reeves movie Constantine? That is the level of notoriety that Craig has in my domain. So believe me that when I say that he is not down there, he is not down there.”  
Tweek exhaled heavily in defeat and sat down in the chair across from Satan, the top bottom of his shirt undone and his tie loosened around his neck, his suit jacket on the floor across the room. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.  
“I know…” he said, his voice strained from shouting, “I know. I just don’t know where else to look. I mean, souls don’t just vanish, do they?”  
“Normally, no.” Satan answered, “but the situation with you and Craig was not something that was considered ‘normal’. The whole reason that you went from being an Imp to a Devil was because you absorbed the soul of an Exorcist, and yet his soul remained somewhat sentient within you rather than being simply adsorbed. And now there is no trace of his soul in you, yet you remain a full fledged Devil. Normally if his soul had been removed from you, you would have retired to being an Imp.”  
“So…. what? I just finished digesting my boyfriend? He is gone forever?” Tweek asked, a note of irritation in his voice.  
“Not necessarily,” Satan responded as a cup of coffee was placed in front of him by the six foot gothic bombshell barista that was working the shop. “Thank you dear,” Satan said with a smile as she stepped around the table and set a cup in front of Tweek.  
“My pleasure my Lords,” the woman replied with a smile before walking away.  
“I told you to stop calling me that Henrietta.” Tweek called after her, knowing full well she wasn’t listening. The two Devils took a sip from their cups, Tweek smiling in spite of his mood as the scent filled his nose. “You were saying?”  
“Right.” Satan dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “You said that after your assault on the Vatican, you were hit by a light in a tunnel after stepping onto the runes on the floor… that was most likely the Inquistion’s Gate of Solomon. One of the few things that they had that actually worked for sending me and my minions back to Hell. Damn thing gave me whiplash from how hard it threw me back down.”  
“So it sends Demons into Hell?” Tweek asked, taking another sip from his cup. “Than what would it do to a good soul like Craigs? Shoot it up to Heaven?”  
Satan shrugged and took another sip as well. “Possibly.”  
“So we check Heaven than!” Tweek said, feeling excited. “How do we get up there?”  
“We don’t.” Satan replied flatly. “We are Devils, Tweek. We do not go to Heaven. And souls that go to heaven are not like the souls that go to Hell. They are more like clouds. They lose their form over time and just…. are there.”  
“So… that’s it, is it?” Tweek asked, feeling a lump in the back of his throat as he stared down at his coffee, “there’s no hope of ever seeing him again?”  
Satan drank from his cup, staring at Tweek over his cup. Setting it back down, he sighed.  
“Look, ever since I tried to attack Heaven a few years back, God and I have not been on what you would call ‘speaking terms’, but I can try asking him for a favour. I may be able to get you access up to Heaven.”  
“Really?” Tweek’s eyes lit up.  
“Maybe!” Satan replied sternly. “Don’t go getting your hopes up. It’s only a chance.”  
“I get it. Thank you Lucifer.” Tweek said, smiling as he lifted his cup again.  
“But don’t get your hopes up,” Satan said, pausing to take a long sip from his cup, “the odds of Him saying yes are low, and on top of that, Heaven will be fully aware of your existence here on Earth. There may be some angels who will not sit idely by to leave you to your business.”  
“What can an angel do? Smite me?” Tweek replied, grinning.  
“So,” Satan said, smiling, “I understand that young Tricia has graduated from high school. Any celebration planned for that?”  
“Yeah,” Tweek said, setting down his now empty cup, “today is going to be a group shopping trip for her and some of the other graduates.”  
“Shopping with a bunch of eighteen year olds?” Satan said with a shiver. “You are a brave man, Tweek.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Several hours later Tweek sat amoungst his and Tricia’s friends in a shopping mall food court for a late lunch. Tricia sat wth her fellow graduates Karen McCormic and Ike Broflovski, the latter of whom had skipped a grade to graduate at 16. Seated with them were Kyle, Stan, Wendy and Kenny.  
“So Tricia,” Wendy asked as she set down her veggie wrap, “what are your plans for your future?”  
“Well I am going to take a year off an work at Tweek’s coffee shop, and then from there I’m thinking of looking into a business degree.” Tricia replied, her two slices of pizza long gone and her drink cup now just full of melting ice. “Though I may look into journalism instead. I haven’t made up my mind yet.”  
“What happened to pursuing a nursing degree?” Ike asked from beside his brother as he munched down his attempt at a improvised poutine. Tricia looked down at her plate, embarrassed.  
“That was only a thought,” she said softly. “It was a stupid ad selfish thought. I had thought that if there had been someone there that night, if a doctor had been there, than maybe my brother would still be…” her voice trailed off as a tear slid down her cheek.  
“Nicely done Ike,” Stan said as the Canadian boy’s mouth hung open in shock and shame. Wendy got out of her chair and walked up behind Tricia, rapping her arms around her as the girl sobbed.  
“I’m sorry Tricia,” Ike said guiltily. Tricia shook her head and wiped away her tears.  
“It is alright.” She said, forcing a smile. “My brother wouldn’t want me to dwell on it.”  
“That’s right,” Tweek said, setting his hand on Tricia’s shoulder. “He would want you to seek out your own path. Live your own life.”  
A silence fell upon the group for a few moments until Kyle elbowed his younger brother in the ribs.  
“What about you little bro? Share your plans with everyone.”  
Ike held a finger up as he finished chewing his food. “I am going to go to Canada and stay with my birth parents while I attend university in Toronto.” He said, drawing everyone’s gaze. “I am going to study to become a professor of psychology and human conditioning. I want to learn and discover exactly how the human body can strengthen itself against disease and infection.”  
“I only understood about half of what you just said” Kenny replied in a muffled voice from behind his face mask, causing everyone to laugh.  
“And what about you Karen?” Stan asked as Wendy sat back down between him and Kyle.   
“I am going to become a flight attendant so that I can travel the world!” She answered eagerly, her face beaming. “I have already learned hw to speak French, Spanish and Japanese. One I finish learning Russian and Italian I will be set to visit every place on my bucket list!”  
“And you will be taking your big brother with you every time you go on a vacation trip!” Kenny said,leaning over to Karen and wrapping his arms around her, causing the girl to flail in an attempt to escape.  
Tweek chuckled as he watched the group. He felt strangely naustalgic, feeling as though he had never missed a day with them all. What if he had never gotten sick? He never would have missed a day than. Craig would be here with them, laughing and smiling along with them all. He felt his eyes burn for a moment, tears welling under his eyelids. He silently wiped them dry and looked to Kenny, who was now on the food court floor with Karen, eyes wide in pain and frantacly tapping out as she applied a Cross Arm Breaker to him.  
“So Kenny, you went into the military after you graduated, right?”  
“More like dropped out, but yeah.” Kenny answered, holding his elbow as he sat back down and Karen took a seat on the opposite side of the table. “Three tours of the Middle East, and next month I will be taking the SEAL course.”  
“Be careful Kenny.” Kyle said, a look of concern on his face. “You aren’t bulletproof you know.”  
“Hey, relax you guys. Never forget: Mysterion cannot die.” Kenny replied, momentarily removing his face mask to flash them all a smile. Everyone smiled back, but their unease was still clear.  
“What about you three?” Tweek asked Kyle, Stan and Wendy, realizing he had never actually asked them what they do for a living.  
“Nothing special,” Stan said, scratching his cheek as he answered. “I’m working for a construction company designing and building houses and shit.”  
“I am an online journalist,” Wendy said next, her wrap finally finished. “And in my free time I dig around online to find anything that is worth leaking to the public or police.”  
“And I am a meteorologist, and I fill in for the weatherman on Channel 9 News occasionally.” Kyle finished up, taking a sip from his near empty soda cup.  
“The first time he filled in on Channel 9 he forgot about the green screen and wore a green jacket.” Ike said, laughing. “He was a head floating around the weather map!”  
Everyone laughed as Kyle blushed.  
“I thought Channel 9 used a blue screen!” He snapped back as Wendy hugged him, still laughing.  
Tweek felt his cheeks burn as he laughed along with them all. He looked up at the skylight above them; up at the darkening sky. “Are you watching Craig?” He wondered, his smile turning somber, his eyes scanning the heavens, his heart wishing for a sign that Craig was up there, looking down on them all, watching over them. “You’re up there, aren’t you?” Tweek hoped. If not in Heaven, then where else could Craig’s soul have gone? Like Satan said, souls don’t just vanish.  
“Tweek?”  
Tweek looked back down at the group as he heard Tricia say his name.  
“We are ready to go.” She said as the group got up from the tables, picking up their garbage and shopping bags. Tweek nodded and got up, picking up and carrying his tray over to the trash.  
“No point in worrying about it now,” he thought to himself as he dumped his trash. “For now I need to keep my focus here. I have to keep Tricia safe.” He looked back at his friends, chatting, smiling. “I have to keep them all safe.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sun was now fully set. The group stood on open top level of the parkade where Kenny and Stan had parked their cars. Everyone was staring up at the night sky, enjoying the calm evening air. Kyle, Kenny, Karen and Ike were over by the guard rail, chatting and laughing. Stan and Wendy were on the hood of their car, gazing at the sky, hand in hand. Tricia and Tweek were off to the side of everyone else, staring out over the guard rail at the city.  
“I can’t believe that I did it.” Tricia said, a solemn smile on her face. “Seven years behind my friends, and I still managed to graduate with them all.”  
“You’re the smart one in your family,” Tweek replied with a grin. “Craig was the strong one. But you both shared the looks.”  
Tricia laughed, and Tweek saw a tear brimming in her eye. She fell silent and stared out acros the skyline, folding her arms on the guard rail and leaning down to rest her head on them.  
“Do you think Craig would be proud of me?” She asked. “That I am taking a year off? Of the career paths I want to pursue? Of who I have become?”  
Tweek walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, gently hugging her.  
“He would be happy no matter what decision you make,” he said, leaning his cheek onto the top her head. “Just so long as it is not stripping.”  
The two of them laughed, and Tweek let go of the girl. The two of them turned away from the guard rail and looked at the rest of the group, all still off doing their own things. Tweek reached into an inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a small box.  
“By the way,” he said, causing Tricia to turn to him and notice the box. Tweek handed it to her and she took it, opening it and smiling as she saw its contents. “Happy Graduation.” Tweek said with a soft smile as Tricia pulled out a blue and silver cross necklace, a silver pair of folded angel wings wrapped around the intersection of the cross.  
“Thank you so much Tweek,” she said, tears welling in her eyes again.  
“It’s nothing Tricia. You deserve-“ Tweek fell silent as his ears picked up a strange sound, as though jet was flying in a low altitude towards them. He noticed a silver glint in the sky and turned his head towards it. A moment later he felt as though a train and slammed into him, the wind exploding out of his lungs as he felt himself fly backwards across the roof, coming to a stop as he crashed into a truck, the force of his impact almost folding it in half. Tweek coughed and hacked up blood as he pulled himself out of the truck, wiping dust and dirt off of his suit as Kyle and Stan ran towards him.  
“Tweek!” Kyle shouted as reached him. “Dude, what happened?”  
“I don’t know,” Tweek said as he wiped the blood out of the corner of his mouth. “But someone is going to…” he trailed off as he looked at where he was struck. Tricia was gone. “Tricia!” He shouted, running to where she had stood just a moment earlier. “Where did she go?” He shouted, looking around the parkade level.  
“What’s this?” Kenny asked, and Tweek turned to see Kenny bent down reaching for a large grey feather. As he touched it he quickly pulled his hand back, wincing in pain as blood spurt from his fingers. “It’s fucking sharp as fuck!” He said, pulling face mask down and sticking his bleeding fingers in his mouth.  
Tweek walked over and picked up the feather. There was no doubt in his mind that it was an angel’s feather. He gritted his teeth and growled, his eyes burning blue as he listened, picking up the sound he had heard earliler heading East. Without a word he left go of the feather, his wings tearing out through the back of his suit, his horns erupting from his forehead and curving back along his skull, and tail shooting out from the back of his pants. With a heavy, sharp flap of his wings he took off in the direction of the sound, leaving everyone to stare up at the sky in shock. After a few moments of absolute silence, Stan spoke up.  
“You guys remember how we all said that after leaving South Park that we weren’t going to have to deal with this shit anymore?”  
“God fucking damn it.” Kyle said, exasperated.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tweek's wings pounded the air as he gave chase to the trail of white feathers that fluttered through the air in front of him. Ahead, he could hear Tricia struggling against her captor. Slowly the pair came into view as he shortened the distance between them. The wind screamed around him as he sped up, flying faster than he ever had before. He was on top of the angel now, and with one mighty flap of his wings Tweek swooped around in front, snatching Tricia from its grasp and spiralling down to the ground. He twisted around and snapped his wings out wide, landing feet down on the ground as the angel above cut its path and made a bee line towards the ground. Tweek set Tricia down and stepped in front of her as the angel slammed into the ground, whipping up a dust cloud with the impact.  
“Stay back,” Tweek said, and Tricia took several steps back.   
As the dust cloud settled, a pair of shining blue eyes glared out at Tweek, who narrowed his vision in response. The white wings snapped back, sweeping the dust away and revealing the angel's full figure; a white hooded robe with storm blue symbols embroided along the edges, baggy black pants with white leather strips wrapping around from thigh to shin, and brown leather boots with gold ornaments. A gold crest hung around the angel's neck; a symbol Tweek was unfamiliar with. The angel took a step forward, and Tweek bared his fangs.  
“What do you want with Tricia?” he growled, his fingernails growing into his talons.   
“Step away from the innocent, Devil.” A cold masculine answered, and Tweek's mind snapped numb for a moment, the voice sounding eerily familiar.  
“Who are you?” he shouted, his heart rate picking up as his blood began to boil.  
The angel took another step forward and reached both hands up to its hood.  
“I am Malak, an Angel of Death,” he replied, pulling the hood down, his black hair swaying in the wind, “and I will be taking the innocent from you.”  
Behind him, Tweek heard Tricia cover her mouth to stifle a scream as she saw the angel's face.   
“Tweek?” she asked, lowering her hands, her voice shaking. “Is... is that-?”  
The Devil's hands shook as tears welled in his eyes, overflowed and ran down his cheeks. His throat burned as he took a shaky step forward, his voice cracking as the word finally came out.  
“C-C-C-Craig?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HATE THIS!!! I hate writing filler to pad out a chapter! It makes everything grind slow and it drives me to tears!!! I want to write the fun bits, but I HAVE to write this kind of stuff to make the fun bits more fun. Plus, exposition and what not. Also.... yeah. Surprise eh? Not really. Hands up if you saw that end coming.


	5. Love is Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reunion Tweek has been waiting for is anything but pleasant.

The angel stared at Tweek, his expression unchanging as the Devil’s eyes brimmed with tears. As the first salty stain slid down his cheek, Tweek took a step forward, his arms rising up towards Malak.  


“Craig…. you’re alive…” he said, his voice shaking as the burning lump in the back of his throat choked his words. “I thought I had lost you… I… I thought you had g-g-gone somewhere that I would n-n-never b-b-b-b-be able to reach…” He stopped, his fingers mere inches from the angel’s face. “Craig…. I was so s-s-s-scared… I-“  


Tweek fell silent as the angel’s fist connected with his mouth. The Devil’s eyes went wide as the impact silenced his words and sent him off of his feet. Tweek hit the dirt back first and slid across the rough ground, rolling over to his side and quickly rising to his feet.  


“Craig!” He shouted, “what the hell was that fo-“ his sentence was cut off as Malak rushed in and landed a second punch, this time a hook to the side of Tweek’s jaw. Tweek felt it dislocate as he was sent spinning through the air like a frisbee. His wings snapped out, stopping the spin and stabilizing him as the angel grabbed his ankle and yanked him back in. Tweek, now laying flat in the air, stared up at the angel’s cold, emotionless eyes for the brief second before the angel brought down another fist into his face, driving the back of his head into the ground. Little lights popped into Tweek’s vision, and he lay stunned, unable to move as the angel stepped over him and sat down on his chest. Tweek looked up in the cold, emotionless eyes of the angel as he slowly balled his fist up again.  


“Craig…” he whispered weakly, a single tear rolling down the side of his face. Without a word, he angel struck him again, and again, and again. Soon Malak was raining down blows into the Devil’s face; the force of the strikes lifting a cloud of dust around them, shaking the ground with each impact.  


“Why?”ˆ Tweek questioned to… he didnt know who. God perhaps? Why was this happening? He had finally gotten his love back. This was Craig. He knew this. He knew his look. His height. His scent. There was no doubt in his mind that this Malak was his Craig. So why was this happening now? Why didn’t he recognize him? Why was he fighting him? Why…

The angel ceased his onslaught and stared down as the bloody face of the Devil. Teeth were broken, eyes were puffed and bloody, nose was now a gaping hole. Yet he still gurgled out a name.  
“Craig…”  


Malak narrowed his eyes in irritation and rose to his feet, glaring down at the Devil.  


“Stop calling me that.” He growled, spreading his wings and rising up into the air; almost immediately several hundred feet above the ground. “I will silence your tongue, Devil.” He said, flapping his wings up and descending like a missile, slamming into the chest of Tweek feet first. The ground around the Devil imploded, showering the surrounding area with rock and debris. The Devil hacked on impact, spewing blood out of his mouth before going limp in the crater. The dust settled, and Malak scared down at the motionless body of the young Devil. From a ways away, he heard the scream of the young woman he had rescued earlier.  


“Tweek!” Tricia shouted as she ran towards the edge of the small crater, stopping as she saw the carnage that had been done. “No… Craig… brother what have you done?”  


“Calm yourself, young innocent,” Malak replied, stepping out of the Devil’s chest cavity and approaching the girl. “I have merely done God’s Will,” he said, wiping a streak of the Devil’s blood from his cheek and licking it off of his hand. “Disposing of Unholy Vermin.”  
“How could you say that?” Tricia snapped back, her eyes burning with anger. “That’s your friend! More than your friend! Do you know what he has been doing trying to find you? Don’t you remember what you did trying to find him?”  


“Silence you mouth, impudent child!” Malak snapped, narrowing his eyes at the girl. “Do not speak to me as though you know me. I am the angel-“  


“Craig!” Tricia interrupted, glaring at him. “You are my older, stupid brother Craig Tucker, and you are the biggest jerk-off on earth!”  


The angel’s eyes snapped wide in anger, and he whipped back his hand to slap the girl. She winced in fear, but Malak could not move his hand as he tried to strike her. Looking over his shoulder, his heart froze as he saw the bloody Devil standing behind him, his hand locked around the angel’s wrist. Malak turned and yanked his arm free from the Devil and leapt back, creating some distance between them as the Devil’s body was suddenly surrounded by a blacks and emerald aura. The angel knew instinctively that the Devil was mad.  


Tweek reached up and grabbed his jaw, snapping it back into place. With a ragged, wet breath he jabbed his claws into his crushed chest and tugged it back out a moist crunch. Tweek 6spat out a bloody glob of his broken teeth and snarled, fresh fangs already in place. He looked over at Malak, bloody tears running down his cheeks as his wounds started to heal and close. The angel looked on as Tweek closed his fists; knuckles and fingers popping with the motion.  


“Okay Craig, I am going to be honest with you,” he growled, his horns sprouting from his forehead and curving back along his head. “I am starting to get pissed off.”  
Without a word the angel dashed forward and lashed out with another punch, but this time his fist froze in mid air as the Devil’s hand closed around his fist. With a flick of his wrist, Tweek flipped Malak upside down. The angel reacted instantly, stabbing a wing into the ground and lashing out at the Devil with the other; Tweek released Malak’s fist and stepped back, the wingtip grazing his cheek. Malak twisted in the air, pulling his wing free of the earth and lashing at the Devil with a heel kick. Tweek snatched Malak’s ankle and whipped him overhead, slamming the angel face first into the earth.  


“No,” Tweek said lazily before turning and slamming Malak into the ground behind him, then back in front like a toddler flailing a towel. “Bad Craig.” He said, each word coming as the angel hit the dirt, emphasizing each impact. Tweek swung Malak for a fourth time, but the angel caught himself, driving his wings into the ground and flipping himself backward, throwing Tweek through the air instead. The two settled onto their feet and stared me another down, Malak closing his fists once again as Tweek snapped his hands open, his claws glinting in the moonlight.  


“That‘s it Craig,” Tweek said, his face emotionless, “I’ma scratch you.”  


The two dashed into each other and vanished into a whirlwind of fists, claws, fangs and feathers as they struck one another with everything they had.  


“Craig, I will make you remember me even if it means plucking you like a turkey!”  


“Will you stop calling me that?!?” Malak retorted, gritting his teeth as the Devil started to push him back. Tweek launched a fist into Malak;s face and the angel went spinning back through the air. The angel’s wings snapped out wide, stabilizing himself and turning him back to face the Devil, who was suddenly nose to nose with the Angel.”  


“Hi.” Tweek said with a sly smile before grabbing Malak’s head and driving down into his knee. Malak staggered back as the Devil stepped forward and whipped his hand around, giving the angel an open palmed cup check; complete with a hearty squeeze.  
“Yup. You’re definitely Craig.” Tweek said matter-of-factly as Malak swatted his hand away from his holy region and leapt back, his face red with anger.  


“How…” he growled, glaring at Tweek as the Devil showed no signs of fatigue or injury. “How are you pushing me, Malak, back like this?!”  


“Well that is simple, Craig.” Tweek replied, heavily emphasizing the name, “I am actually trying now.”  


Malak’s eyes snapped wide and he roared out in anger, stretching his arms out wide and clapping his hands together in front of himself. A bright silver light sparked from his connecting palms, forcing Tweek to shield himself with his wings to block out the light.  


The light faded, and Tweek suddenly felt a burning pain in his right side. Looking down at the point of its origin, he saw that a silver and gold ornamented spear had pierced through his wing and into his right lung. He felt blood rise up and spill out of his mouth, and he quickly leapt back, the spear tip pulling free from his chest he moved, blood flowing from the wound. 

Taking an uneasy step back, Tweek felt the wound and looked down at it, his eyes wide in surprise.  


“It’s not closing?” He asked, shocked.  


“Of course it isn’t. I have pieced you with the Holy Spear of Ruin: Jericho.” Malak replied dryly, his calm and deadly demeanor suddenly back in place, despite the blood running from the corners of his mouth and eye. He gave the sear a majestic twirl through the air before holding it in a charging stance, the tip pointed towards Tweek’s heart. “And now, I shall end this farce.” Malak charged, and Tweek leapt forward, swiping at the spear to try and catch its shaft and wrench it from the angel’s grip. Malak responded by twisting mid-charge and spinning the spear around, slashing through the air with its edge and slicing Tweek’s right wing clean off. The Devil flinched from the pain, and Malak continued the spin, bringing the spear down in a beautiful slashing arc, drawing a trail of blood out from across Tweek’s chest.  


The wound was deep, and Tweek staggered back, tripping on an oversized rock and falling onto his backside. Tweek took a deep, shaking and ragged breath as the blood spilled from his wounds. Malak spun and spear around again and brought it back down into the charged stance from earlier; the spear tip once again directed towards the Devil’s heart.  


“This time, I end it.” Malak growled. He charged forward, the spear tip screaming through the air as it homed in towards Tweek;s chest. A flurry of strawberry-blonde hair suddenly filled Malak’s vision and he stopped mid charge, the spear tip just lightly poking against Tricia’s chest as she stood between the angel and the Devil, her arms out stretched, her eyes filled with fear as she stared down the angel.  


“Stop.” Please begged, her voice shaking as tears ran down her cheek. “Please.”  
Malak’s anger burned, and yelled.  


“Why are you trying to protect this-“ his voice suddenly vanished as a flash of pain filled his head. He staggered back, dropping the spear and grabbing his head. Thoughts, visions and words were flashing and echoing through his mind, each one feeling a gong ringing inside his skull. Malak dropped to his knees, roaring in agony as he felt like his head was trying to ear itself apart.  


“Craig!” Tricia said, taking a step towards him, her hands reaching out. “What’s wrong with-“  


Malak slapped her hands away as he glared at her, blood flowing from his eyes as his head continued to pound.  


“DON’T TOUCH ME!” He shouted, snapping his wings wide and flapping them, shooting up into the clouds and out of site. Tricia and Tweek stared up in the direction that he had gone, watching as he split through the clouds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn. This chapter changed quite a bit. Well.... not too much. This was a fun one to write. Next few are going to be slogs to do but hey. World building is important, right?

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. I had intended to end By Blood and Silver where it ended. But my bloody brain got an idea for an alternate ending as I was writing the final chapter, and I liked the idea a lot. But I did not want throw away everything I had planned during the year that I spent writing the story, so I ignored it. And then the alternate ending idea expanded into an entirely new story, a nice little sequel. So: here we are. This story will not be as wrist slashingly depressing as the last one. I am in a better head space this time around, and we are going to have some fun! ... maybe.
> 
> Also if you wish to stay up to date with how my writing hiatus' are going, follow me @NVaihlo


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